Nanaki's Complete Life Story
by Jurietto
Summary: Nanaki's complete life, from birth to journeying with AVALANCHE, from saving the planet to death. My first fanfiction, please read and review! Chapter Two is up!
1. Chapter 1: The Last Birth

**Nanaki's Story**

**Chapter One: The Last Birth**

I was born in a place called Cosmo Canyon. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but it's a very famous place. Cosmo Canyon is where Planet Life is taught. I was raised on many different beliefs, but as a citizen of Cosmo Canyon I was taught the classic studies. My father is Seto, my mother is Kinte, and my grandfather is Bugenhagen, the representative of the town. I have no other family - I am the last of my kind. That is why my birth was such a grand time, yet a sad one all the same. Seto's mother and father had been born in the Canyon, and Mother always told me that we had stayed here for generations. I, of course, knew of no other home as I was a youngster, but during my long life I have seen far more than perhaps any of my kind has for a long time. I remember.. everything, despite the longevity of my life. Soon it will be time for me to return to the Planet as Spirit Energy. It may be peaceful now, but long ago, things were not quite the same. I am Nanaki.. and this is my story.

' Julie! ' a voice echoed through the tunnel. No answer. Where was that bonehead? ' Julie! JULIE! ' Having ignored the 'no-running' rule on the second floor, a young boy raced along the dusty ground that held up the steady town. His dark brown hair was messed, but his face was alight with excitement. Travis was the typical example of his age; young and full of energy. Which of course, was understandable on this day in particular. If it were any other day, one would wonder why the second floor was so empty, it was usually the most packed. At this time of the year there were usually no tourists at all, but many people had been invited to attend the special day. Suddenly a young girl came flying into Travis on his way round one of the corners. He was caught by surprise and flung backwards. Tripping on an untied shoelace, he fell backwards onto the ground. Realising who the young girl was, a broad grin attended his face.

' Sorry I'm late, Travis! ' the girl panted breathlessly, who had obviously been running too. Her brown-blonde hair was strewn across her face and she looked like she had only gotten dressed two minutes ago.. which she probably had, now that Travis thought about it. The two had been friends as long as he could remember, and today was a day that they had both been excited about for a long time now. Travis shook his head to show he didn't mind. ' Lets go! ' The two of them turned to the way Julie had been heading and Travis had been leaving, and were soon racing away at perhaps an even more increased speed as before. As soon as they had gone down the two flights of stairs, they met what would have been the darkness, if not for the bright flare their eyes recieved, most likely to have come from the Cosmo Candle - the huge flame that stood in the center of the outside ground of the Canyon. It had never gone out, never. Apparently it was supposed to keep bad things from happening. Travis wondered whether it was true anyway. Suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist and he looked up in surprise.

' You shouldn't have been inside. This is a whole-tribe ceremony! ' the elder whispered, in an angry tone. But Travis was sure he could hear some amusement hidden in his voice. Grinning, he nodded his head in apology. Julie was so excited she jumped up and down as they saw that sight in front of them. People stood around the Candle, but Travis could just see the two creatures he knew so well. Seto and Kinte were strange things, Travis had always wondered what they were, but whenever he asked the answer was more or less ' a kind of their own '. They resembled what seemed like a cross between a wolf and a lion, he wasn't sure. Their tails were alight with the same sort of flame as the Cosmo Canyon. Kinte's fur was like a flame, a brilliant red. Seto's was a darker colour, a kind of reddish-brown. They were both strange creatures, but in the same way they were very mysterious and beautiful. Travis and Julie and all the other children of the Canyon loved Kinte as a kind of nanny - she was exceptionally good with children, especially humans. Why was this ceremony so big and spectacular? _Because this youngster will be the last of his kind. After this one there will be no more. This will be their Last Birth. _That was what Julie's mother always said. Travis felt sorry for Seto and Kinte. Someone that was nearer to the Candle moved, and Travis and Julie's view was better and clearer. Both gasped in delight as they saw a familiar old man holding a small creature out on top of the flame. The creature looked dead, but suddenly it moved. The man held the creature's tail over the flame, and Julie cried out in protest, even, but it didn't seem to mind. It's tail was suddenly ablaze, and I saw Kinte reach out and take hold of her offspring in her jaws. Smiling motherly, she placed the creature down at her paws. Julie 'aww'd' and everyone else smiled sorrowfully. Travis had always wondered why the strange flame on their tail was there, and now I realised it was because of the Cosmo Candle, sort of a way to welcome them to the world.

' What's its name? ' someone shouted. Seto looked up, and then cleared his throat. His voice was booming but held a gentle inner tone.

' His name shall be.. Nanaki. '


	2. Chapter 2: Forbidden

**Nanaki's Complete Life Story**

**Chapter Two: Forbidden**

' How big is the world? '

The question made Kinte blink. Nanaki hadn't asked this kind of question before. She supposed it came with learning to speak, but ever since he had learnt to speak longer sentences he had become quiet, which was - apart from ironic - strange. Every morning Nanaki woke his mother and father up very early, usually by means of jumping on them, pulling at their tails or howling non-stop. But now, whenever Kinte woke she would find him staring out of the window, forepaws resting on the dusty rock pane as he gazed out towards the sky.

' The world is very big, Nanaki, ' she replied, having thought of no other reply.

' ..oh. But how big, exactly? ' Nanaki turned his head to watch his mother as she pondered. His fur colouring was growing darker, and was not unlike her own.

' You'll have to ask your grandfather that question. '

Usually her only reply was that. Bugenhagen was getting older but he still had his strange old powers and ways. In fact; he wasn't _technically _Nanaki's grandfather. But when Seto was younger, he had met Bugen and the two had become very close. In return, Seto taught Nanaki that he was his grandfather, and he had learnt to accept it. Every afternoon, Seto brought Nanaki out of the main town and taught him about the lands. Often they would rest on the tall rocks that loomed over Cosmo Canyon and talk about things. Nanaki looked up to his father very much.

Nanaki nodded, and seemed a little bit disappointed. However, Kinte knew of no way to comfort him except to curl her forepaw around him protectively. However, his gaze had already returned to the window, and he was looking out to the blue sky again. Sighing, Kinte got to her paws, her tail's flame licking the ground, yet didn't harm it. Nanaki had asked that question, too, but Kinte didn't know herself. Part of the tribe's lessons were never to dwell on the unknown.

' Where are you going? ' Nanaki asked, frowning. Kinte felt saddened by his lack of eagerness. When he was a newborn cub, he would often run after her and refuse to let her go, and then howl when she made him stay behind.

' I'm going to talk with your grandfather. Why don't you go and play with the children? ' Nanaki looked away.

' They say I can't play with them. They say it's unfair that I'm faster and stronger than them and can't play their games properly.. '

It was true. Whenever the children raced down the flights of stairs, Nanaki always beat them. Whenever they playfighted, Nanaki always ended up either hurting them, no matter how hard he tried to keep his claws away from their strange helpless skin. Whenever they played other games, such as hide and seek or tag.. Nanaki always ended up doing something that angered the others.

' Don't listen to them. They're jealous because they don't have your beautiful fur. Or your sharp claws, or your flaming tail, ' she replied, trying to comfort her son. Nanaki looked down at his red paws.

' ..they say I'm not one of them so I can't play, ' he mumbled. Kinte looked down into his face, to make sure he could only see her clear amber eyes.

' You _are _one of them. You're just not a mirror image of them. You will always belong to Cosmo Canyon, even if you do look different from them. '

In the end, Nanaki was forced to go and find the children. There were many children in the Canyon, although none of them seemed to want to be with him. However, he _did _have two friends. Travis and Julie followed him everywhere, and they played games and had fun. But he always had that pang in his mind that told him that he wasn't one of them. Sometimes he even thought that he had been cursed to look like he did. WHY did he have to have 'beautiful red fur'? Why couldn't he just have the strange pink flesh that the children had? WHY did he have to have sharp claws and fangs? Why couldn't he just have the blunt nails and teeth that the children had? He never spoke his troubles to anyone except his grandfather, Bugenhagen. Nobody else understood his fears. His father would tell him to stand up to them and not take any of their nonsense and teasing. His mother would try to comfort him. And he would never dream of telling anyone else, not even Julie and Travis. _I won't let them bother me, _he thought fiercly. _They're just jealous, like Mother said. _Nodding to himself in a determined way, he set off out of the tunnel cavemouth and went to find Julie and Travis.

The outside of Cosmo Canyon was completely quiet. It was now getting into the evening. Because of the place that Cosmo Canyon was positioned, it is much darker in the area, so to the inhabitants the sun had already set. However, several figures were making their way across the dusty rocks to the outer lands of the Canyon. The small group appeared to be made up of five children, perhaps of around the age of 10. Three of them seemed to be looking both excited, but the other two were looking nervous and frightened.

' Stop dawdling, Travis, ' one of the three kids at the front said sharply, turning around to view him. Travis sighed and quickened his pace a little. Normally he might have pointed out that he wasn't the only one 'dawdling', Julie beside him was too. But now he was too anxious to do that. It had definatly not been their idea, but the other three - Ursula, Pasha and Tom - had urged them to join them, and because they had refused they had teased them for being weak, and.. well, they ended up following them. Julie still had no idea where they were going and why, and what was going on. Travis had heard Pasha say that they were going to catch some of the frogs that resided in the small woodland area that was quite nearby the Canyon. The Canyon stretched out for a long time, both Travis and Julie had never been into the 'Light Lands', or so the townspeople said. To the children they were known simply as as the 'Outplace'.

Having searched everywhere for Travis and Julie, he had been searching the outside of the Canyon in mere desperation. When he caught sight of Ursula, Pasha and Tom he rolled his eyes - they were the ones who teased him non-stop and were always getting into trouble. But those eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw Travis and Julie were with them; although they _did _look kind of scared. _Don't ask to go with them. They're up to no good, _Nanaki thought, and made his way back towards the Canyon, wondering whether Travis and Julie were his friends after all. But suddenly another thought hit him. _Maybe if I went with them they might like me more!_

' Hi, guys, ' he said casually, strolling up behind them, the gentle wind ruffling his red fur. Ursula spun around and raised her eyebrows scornfully.

' What do YOU want? ' she replied rudely. ' We don't travel with beasts. '

' You're going into the Outplace. There's more beasts there, ' he pointed out, ignoring the insult.

They made no further reply. Nanaki resisted the urge to smirk, and he flicked his tail with satisfaction. Suddenly, Tom seemed to have an idea and turned to whisper into Pasha's ear. He shrugged, and whispered to Ursula. She looked reluctant, but ended up in nodding, but she did sigh and roll her eyes too. They turned back to face Nanaki, who was surprised to see Travis and Julie either side of him.

' We've decided that you can come, ' Tom announced. Nanaki's face lit up and Julie squealed. She opened her mouth to thank them, but Ursula hurried in with another comment.

' ONLY if you do something in return. You can help us to pay off the debt! ' Nanaki didn't see it as something that required a debt, but he shrugged and then nodded.

' Where are we going, anyway? '

' Into the Forest, ' Ursula responded, grinning. She knew that Nanaki was forbidden by Seto to wander out of the Canyon and into the Forest without him being there. He looked uncomfortable, but didn't say anything else. None of them remembered that the Forest was full of frogs - the town's White Capes lay forgotten back in the Canyon..

_AUTHOR'S NOTE - - - You'll be happy to hear that Ursula, Pasha and Tom all get turned into small green croaking creatures.. hm. ;3 Revenge is sweet. _


End file.
